


Cat Cuddles

by myscribblingquill



Category: Still Star-Crossed (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Cats, Cuddling & Snuggling, F/M, Fluff, Living in the Same Apartment Building, Sharing a Bed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-20
Updated: 2018-03-20
Packaged: 2019-04-05 06:01:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,140
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14037732
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/myscribblingquill/pseuds/myscribblingquill
Summary: Rosaline has never really spoken to any of her neighbours, but when she thinks on of them has a cat she has to act. After all what better way to spend her evenings than playing with a cute cat?





	Cat Cuddles

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to the anon who sent me the prompt: _You live in the apartment next to me. We're not supposed to have pets, but I KNOW you have a cat. I'll make you a deal, I won't tell, if you let me pet it._

There are lots of things Rosaline doesn’t know, most of which she’ll admit to after a drink or two. She doesn’t know why her cousin is dating a Montague, she doesn’t know why she spent so much money on law school, she doesn’t know if there’s any ice cream left in her freezer.

The one thing she does know, with absolute certainty, is her neighbour has a cat.

She can’t prove it though. Not yet. But she knows it’s there, she can hear him talking to it sometimes. Sure, he could be talking to a person, but who’s called Jellylorum? It’s quite the mouthful of a name, even for cat, and her neighbour shouts it quite regularly.

Rosaline doesn’t really know her neighbour that well. They’ve been living next to each other for almost a year but they only interact on the stairs. His name is Benvolio, that’s all she knows.

“What are you carrying?” She asks when she catches sight of him lugging a bag up the stairs. 

His head whips around, guilt written all over it. For a moment Rosaline wonders she’s caught him smuggling more cats into his apartment.

“It’s just, you know, stuff,” He says.

Rosaline takes another step up. He shifts, his posture defensive, trying to shield the bag from her view. His leg is in the way but she can clearly see the label. He’s carrying cat litter. 

“Did you read the contract before you signed it?”

“Of course, this is for a friend,” He protests.

Needless to say Rosaline is not convinced, but she lets the matter be as she follows him up the stairs. As he opens the door to his apartment Rosaline swears she can hear a cat meowing. The alarm in Benvolio’s eyes says he hears it too.

“My cousin,” He yanks his phone out of his pocket and waves it. “He set his own ringtone. Stupid cat noises.”

Rosaline cocks an eyebrow. Ringtones do not sound like that and they both know it, but Benvolio disappears inside before she can say anything.

She would be perfectly happy to let him keep him cat. Rosaline isn’t going to tell their landlord. It’s got nothing to do with her, it’s not her that keeping the cat. The problem is that she likes cats. She used to have one at home, with her sister Livia, and if she’s honest she misses it. 

That’s how she finds herself in the closest pet store on her way home from work. It’s obvious Benvolio isn’t going to admit he has a cat, so she’s going to have to force her way in, with cat treats.

She dumps her bag and shoes at her apartment before knocking on his door. It’s unlikely he’s in but goddamn it she’s petting that cat. She’s had a bad day, he has a cat and she needs cuddles - not from him though, from the cat.

“I didn’t steal your mail,” He says when the door opens.

“I, what-” Rosaline’s original plan almost falls out her ears. He’s been stealing mail? “Who’s mail did you steal?”

“No one’s but you looked angry, so,” He shrugs.

“Ok, whatever,” She brushes off his strange conversation starter, “I want to pet your cat.”

He doesn’t say anything, just looks at her shocked and then, as if he remembers he not supposed to have a cat: “I don’t have a cat,”

Rosaline waves the bag of treats at him, “So if I open these...” She leaves the sentence hanging.

His face tense, his gaze sneaking down the corridor, and then he opens the door wide enough for her to enter.

“How did you know?”

“Who names their cat Jellylorum?” She ignores his question, because he really wasn’t that good at hiding it.

“I didn’t name her,” Benvolio holds up his hands, “And technically she’s not my cat,”

Rosaline scoffs and then her attention is claimed by the cat that winds it’s way around her legs.

“She’s a friends, I’m just,”

“Looking after her,” Rosaline finishes with a smirk.

He glares at her and then walks off into what she assumes is the kitchen. The grey cat is still purring at her, Rosaline opens the bag of treats and runs her hand over her furr. 

“You’d better not be stealing my cat from me, Capulet,”

The use of her surname surprises her, as does the animosity he says it with. It’s not unexpected that he knows her surname, they’re all on their postboxes. 

“I thought she wasn’t your cat,” Rosaline says, wandering in the direction of his voice.

“She’s not, but you’re still not allowed to steal her,” He bends down and picks Jellylorum up. The cat squirms in his arms for a moment before escaping onto the work surface.

“Jelly, get down,” Benvolio chastises but makes no move to put her on the floor.

“Jelly?” Rosaline questions, with a laugh.

“Jellylorum is a bit of mouthful,”

“You’re telling me,” 

“Tea?”

“Yes please,” She takes the mug he offers. “I heard you shouting at her the other day.”

He sighs, “It’s the only time I use her full name, when she’s destroying things,”

Rosaline chuckles. They small talk for awhile, about work, college and then something he says jogs her memory.

“Romeo, my cousin, he’s got a new girlfriend and he can’t shut up about her,” Ben, as he’s told her she can call him, moans. “He spends most of his time talking about her hair, or her smile and it’s gross and boring.

“Sounds like my cousin,” Rosaline sympathises. She hasn’t seen Jules in a while but every text she sends is filled with mentions of her boyfriend, who, curiously, is also called Romeo. 

“Your cousin’s girlfriend,” Rosaline starts, slowly, “She wouldn’t happen to be called Juliet would she?”

“Do you know her?” Ben cocks his head, and then his eye light up, “Wait, you have the same surname,”

“Oh my god, you’re Romeo’s cousin,” Rosaline’s suddenly remembers the name Benvolio Montague on his postbox. She can’t believe she didn’t make the connect sooner.

“Yeah, and you’re Juliet’s. How did I not make that connection? Same surname.” He laughs and Rosaline can’t help but join in.

Romeo and Juliet don’t live in town anymore, they moved after things got a bit rocky with their parents, but they’re both happy. Rosaline finds it a bit unbelievable that she’s somehow manage to move in next to Ben.

“I think Juliet tried to set me up on a date with you a few months ago,” Ben says.

“Yeah, she does that,” Rosaline sighs. She loves her cousin, she has such a big heart and she’s happy to give into her crazy schemes. But Rosaline‘s gone on enough dates set up by Juliet to last her a lifetime. After the last one she decided, never again.

“I can’t believe I didn’t figure it out,” Ben muses.

“We aren’t exactly the friendliest of neighbours,”

He laughs, “I thought you were going to make a fuss about Jelly,”

“I would have, but then I wouldn’t be able to steal her away for cuddles,”

Ben pretends to look offend, causing Rosaline to laugh again, “Oh, so you don’t want a friendship with me, just one with my cat.”

“If I have to be friends with you to get cuddle with Jelly, then I suppose I could find some time,”

It really won’t be that much of a sacrifice. 

After a while Rosaline has to admit, she is friends with Ben. It’s unexpected, being friends with a Montague, but she’s learning that most things her uncle told her about that family are wrong. They’re not all bad, Rosaline gets on quite well with at least two of them.

They spend a couple of evenings a week together, watching netflix or a film that Ben usually choses. Rosaline gets all the cat cuddles she desires, and she’s able to ignore the glances Ben sends her as she snuggles with Jelly on the sofa. Of course Jelly isn’t always appreciative of cuddles.

Rosaline likes being friends with Ben though. It’s odd but they get on well. They argue sometimes and wind each other up but he makes her smile and Rosaline needs that sometimes.

“I need your help,”

Ben’s bursts out of his door, as Rosaline is opening hers. He looks slightly frantic.

“I’m not helping you smuggle in more cats,”

“I’ll confiscate Jelly,” He says smugly.

“You can try but she loves me,”

“You weren’t supposed to steal her,”

“I didn’t do it on purpose,” Rosaline laughs as he sits down at the table. “What do you need my help with?”

“I have to go away for a few days, and I need someone to look after Jelly for me,” He’s eyes are wide and there’s a pleading note in his voice. It’s completely unnecessary, Rosaline doesn’t need to be persuaded to spend more time with his adorable cat. 

“Sure, when are you going?” Rosaline asks, dismissing the pang in her chest and slumping against the wall next to her door.

“Tuesday, and I’ll be back on Sunday, so you won’t have to put up with her for too long,” He jokes.

“Are you sure you don’t want to stay longer? I won’t mind,” 

Ben utters a sound of offense and pokes her in the arm. The cry he lets out when she pokes him back makes her laugh, and she has to push down the bubbling feeling in her chest.

“I was about to cook some dinner. You want to come over?” Ben shifts on his feet, and his teeth come down on his lip leaving an indent. Rosaline considers leaning forward to kiss the indent but a soft yowl from his apartment makes Ben’s head snap around.

“Yeah, sure,” Rosaline nods, and Ben retreats into behind his door, shushing at Jelly who continues yowling until Rosaline assumes Ben picks her up.

An hour or so later, stomachs full, they find themselves on the couch arguing over which Marvel film to watch. Rosaline is firmly on the side of The Winter Soldier, but Ben claims he’s seen it so much he’s memorised the lines. When he can’t prove his claim, Rosaline presses play with smug expression and relaxes back into his couch.

When the end credits start playing Rosaline rubs the sleep out of her eyes. There’s a weight across her chest. She can feel the soft rise and fall of Ben’s breathing against her back. Rosaline is almost sure that he’s asleep but they’re squished up on the couch and she can feel her arm starting to go numb.

“Ben,” Rosaline whines and pokes him with her foot. “We should go to bed,”

“M’kay,” He sits up behind her and links their hand together. Ben pulls her up and tugs her towards the bedroom. It’s only when she can’t find her pyjamas that she realises this isn’t her bedroom, it’s his bedroom in his flat.

“Shit, Ben,” Rosaline sits down on the bed for a moment and then stands up again. “I need to go home,”

“My bed is closer,” 

His shirt comes off and Rosaline forces her drooping eyes not to look.

“I don’t have an pyjamas,” Rosaline points out, hoping that the motivation of her own comfy, slightly worn pyjamas will give her some energy to walk back to her flat. It doesn’t, all she feels is extreme exhaustion at the thought of having to take her clothes off.

Ben comes up with a solution though. He pulls a t-shirt out from his dresser and throws it at her. “It’s clean,”

The fabric is soft to the touch, and slightly cool as she replaces her t-shirt with his. Ben isn’t much taller than her and the top barely covers her legs. Rosaline leaves her underwear on and folders her trousers before curling up under the bedsheets. She’s expecting that they’ll stick to their sides of the bed, conscious not to touch.

The mattress shifts behind her. A pocket of cold air on her back makes her shiver, but it’s replaced by the heat of Benvolio’s body. His arm wraps around her waist, reminiscence of how they were lying on the sofa. Rosaline stiffens momentarily but Ben’s gently breathing against her neck soothes her to sleep.

The next morning, still wrapped around each other, they awake to yowling from the kitchen. Minutes later Jelly appears at the bottom of the bed and proceeds to make herself comfortable in the little space left between Rosaline and Benvolio’s body’s. 

When Jelly goes back to her owner, who Rosaline finds out if Ben’s best friend Mercutio, Rosaline loses the excuse of visiting Ben for cat cuddles. By that point they’ve already been dating for a few weeks and at least they don’t have to worry about being caught with a cat by their landlord.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Find me on tumblr [@willsdarcy](https://willsdarcy.tumblr.com)


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